Changing Tides
by Kynlessie
Summary: Bella finds that she's becoming increasingly irritated by Edward's protective nature. She feels suffocated. One week before her pending nuptials, something changes within her and she refuses to continue on this way. Her future takes an abrupt change of course, landing her in the stone arms of an unsuspecting Cullen.
1. Preface

**Author's note: **I am aware that a lot of people are not comfortable with a Bella/Carlisle pairing and I'm sorry if this does not suite you. I have plans for multiple other pairings once this story is completed and I hope those who give this one a try will appreciate my attempts enough to come back and read more of my work later on. I am working without a Beta, so any grammatical errors are that of my own doing. There will be slight character history changes. I won't beg for reviews, I'm simply doing this for my own enjoyment. I love to write, I adore these characters and I hope I can bring someone some sort of enjoyment out of this. Thanks for taking the time to read!

**DISCLAIMER: **I am not Stephenie Meyer, nor do I have any rights to these characters and/or their canon characteristics.

After a brawl pitting nearly everyone I loved against what I was sure was the most brutal and terrifying army to ever grace the Earth, I assumed things would quiet down. I hoped that our lives would be smooth once Victoria was no longer searching for me. My best friend had made it through the battle severely wounded, but he was strong-willed and made it through. The fact that I had broken his heart all over again mere moments before he was hurt made our sweet victory leave a bitter taste in my mouth. I wanted to stay with him as he healed and assure him that he still meant so much - everything - to me and that I would always be there for him. However, after listening to him scream at the tremendous pain he was in while Carlisle reset the broken bones in his body, he told me he needed me to leave him alone. He needed space to get over the fact that I had agreed to marry his mortal enemy. I didn't have talents, I was skilled in very little, but it seemed as if I had a degree in breaking the heart of my werewolf best friend. Once he was fully healed and back with pack, Jacob confronted Edward and I, confirming my suspicions that the pack would not support my being changed into a Vampire. Jacob disappeared after that without so much as a, "Hey, I'll see you in a couple of years."

As for the vampire activity, everything got quiet. There were no more that were hunting me, Victoria's army and her coven having been destroyed. I never saw the pack and when I would try to talk to Billy about his missing son, he blew me off. Every time I would call, he would answer me the same way. No, he hadn't heard anything. Jake would come home when he was ready. The pack hasn't heard anything while they were phased. Then he would hang up without so much as a goodbye. Spending all this time with the Cullens was wonderful, but I missed the pack. The time I could spend with them before my new family and I had to leave was quickly vanishing. None of them would speak to me. My weekly visits to the reservation soon stopped completely.

There was nearly nothing to occupy my time between the battle, graduation and my wedding. All I could do is spend time with my soon-to-be family while Alice gushed over wedding arrangements. She'd taken complete control over everything, asking me simply if the things she decided were okay. When I told her it was all looking great, she clapped, bounced up and down and said, "I know!" Esme encouraged me to go through my belongings and find things that I would want to keep with me after my change to remind me of my human life. I made a point to slowly start bringing things with me to the Cullen house so Charlie didn't continue to give me the sad looks he'd taken to giving me often after finding out I was marrying Edward so soon. Which is why I found myself sitting in the very dusty attic at my father's house, searching through the memories of my childhood, trying to find things I was sure Charlie had forgotten all about to help my vampire mind remember.

I had found a few handmade baby items of mine that were given to Charlie and Renée by family members. Having put them in a box on their own, I moved on to the next thing I could see. There was an old chest sitting off to the side. I rummaged through it, loving seeing pieces of art Charlie had made when he was just a kid. There were a lot of drawings of First Beach that made my heart clench. Finishing going through my dad's childhood memories, I noticed an old, thick folder that had become yellowed with age. Upon careful inspection of the contents, I found a family tree dating back to the late 19th century. The top of the paper had, "Swan Family" written in an elegant old English script.

I was the last descendent of the Swan family after my dad and his twin brother, Eric. My eyes ran over the names, remembering stories of my grandfather and grandmother. The rest of the names weren't recognizable to me as Charlie didn't talk much about our family. My eyes landed on one of the names toward the bottom of the tree and my heart stopped. On one of the branches was I name I knew, though didn't hear often. Brandon. I looked closer, trying to read the faded letters. "Mary Alice Brandon 1901-unknown" it read. One line below that were the names of her mother and father.

I was having a hard time processing what I was staring at. Mary Alice Brandon was now known as Alice Cullen. Reading through the tree further, I discovered the girl I considered a best friend and, in three short weeks, would be known as my sister-in-law was actually my distant aunt. Alice had told me the small bits of memory she had of her human life and we knew, after my encounter with James in the ballet studio, she had been in an asylum around the time of her change. Jasper took her to Mississippi and found a tombstone with her name and no death date. When they returned from the trip, Alice told me that she felt relieved to know just a bit more about her human life, no matter how sad it may have been.

The papers I was holding could answer so many questions for my best friend, but I wasn't sure I should share this with anyone. I knew Charlie wasn't aware, because he had never mentioned this part of our family. The papers were old and fragile, so I tucked them into my purse to keep safe.


	2. The Old New Me

**DISCLAIMER: **I am not Stephenie Meyer, nor do I have any rights to these characters and/or their canon characteristics.

With only a week left before my wedding, Alice was a whirlwind of fabric and flowers. Every time I saw her, I was assaulted with pictures and square pieces of table-cloth. I had been sleeping comfortably in my bed, having been freed from any nightmares to wake me up screaming, when she started bouncing on the bed next to me. It was apparently time to try on my wedding dress, _again, _to ensure its fit was perfect.

"Alice! Come on," I groaned, attempting to sink further into my mattress.

"No, Bella. You come on! We only have seven days to finish everything and we _must_ make sure your dress is fitted properly," her tinkling laughter followed when I met her gaze with a grimace.

My feet dragged on my way to the bathroom to brush my teeth and run a brush through my hair. Alice, satisfied that I wouldn't sleep through the whole week and my wedding, was humming and dancing in my bedroom. That only served to make my mood worse. I didn't understand what the big deal was about weddings. Edward was raised in a time when it was of utmost importance to be married young, but this was the 21st century. His protectiveness lately didn't help my feelings towards this whole endeavor either. My best friend had been gone for a long time now and I wasn't sure he was ever coming home. The reason for his disappearance? My _fiancé_. Of course, the real reason he was gone was because of my inability to choose him over Edward, but it was easier to place blame on the vampire that had dazzled me senseless and somehow managed to convince me to marry him. Every time I'd feel the least bit less than content, Jasper could feel my shift in mood and Edward would read it in his thoughts. This meant that any mood swing I had, Edward was coddling me and assuring me I would be just fine without "that dog." It was getting to the point where I didn't want to be around him very often.

My hair sufficiently brushed and my gums sore from scrubbing them so hard, it was time to face the music. The second I stepped out of the bathroom, Alice grabbed my wrist and drug me into my bedroom. While she played with my hair, undressed me and prepared the dress for our last fitting, I let my thoughts drift to the way my life was going. I could say I was happy until I was blue in the face, but was I really? Edwards overbearing nature was driving me insane and the prospect of being a wife at the age of 18 made me cringe internally. If I were being honest with myself, I didn't want this. I loved Edward and I was so glad he loved me, too, but this was not the way I wanted things to happen. The agreement was that I could lose my virginity to him, as a human, as long as I married him. Was it really worth it? I was seriously doubting it.

Alice ordered me to raise my arms so she could gently lower my dress over my head. I rolled my eyes and obeyed her. As the dress was completely hindering me from seeing anything at all, I felt Alice freeze.

"Alice. My arms are getting tired here," I said impatiently. She didn't budge. I started wiggling around and spoke to her again, "Alice! Hello! Human girl with tiring muscles stuck in a wedding dress here!" Alice remained frozen for a few more moments before slowly lifting the dress from me and straightening it out.

I was completely confused. We hadn't even gotten the dress on me yet and she was putting it back in the garment bag it came in. I stood motionless as she finished zipping the bag and sighed, fingering the zipper.

"Alice?" I asked quietly.

She grabbed my hands and pulled me to sit with her on my bed. When I looked into her eyes, she was carefully guarded, but her face appeared to be sad. I sat quietly waiting for her to tell me what the heck was going on.

"Bella. Would you like to tell me why I just had a vision of you running off before your wedding?" she asked.

"I-I have no idea, Alice," I told her.

She turned to face me, then, "Jazz says your emotions haven't been the best lately. The last time we hunted without the family, he told me that anytime Edward asks you how you're feeling or suggests ways to cheer you up, you become annoyed with him."

"That's true. I haven't felt like myself lately. So much has happened since your brother came into my life, Alice. So many wonderful and horrible things. He's saved me in so many ways. If it weren't for him, James would have killed me and I would have never gotten all this time with the whole family, with Charlie... and Jacob. Alice, I miss him so much," I started to cry. I felt her cool arms wrap around me and she started shushing me, rubbing my back. "When you all left me, I was so lost without you. Without Edward. And Jacob did everything in his power to bring me back. I was completely broken and just a shell of myself. Like I needed Edward to breathe, to live, to function. The gaping hole in my chest almost disappeared when he was around. He taught me to smile again, to laugh. How do I repay him? By breaking his heart, again! And Edward just expects me to be okay with that?" I sighed and pushed away to look into her eyes, "Alice, you have to understand. I don't want to get married. I know I've told you all how I feel about this. It's not any different now. My mind isn't changed after seeing the flowers, the invitations, the dress. I love Edward, so much. I'm so thankful for him. But I just can't do this. It's not fair to him. It's not fair to me."

Alice sat completely still, staring into my eyes. I tried to push as much of the truth as I could into them, hoping she'd see and maybe even understand. She didn't move for several minutes. Finally, she sighed, broke our little staring contest up and she smiled at me. Why was she smiling?

"It's okay, Bella. I understand. We all know how much you love Edward and the rest of the family. Jasper can feel it, after all. I'm not sure what we're going to do, but Bella, if you don't want to get married next week, you don't have to. I still love you," Alice's face was the most sincere I'd ever seen. She scooted closer to me and again wrapped me in her stone embrace, "You're my sister, with or without a marriage to my brother. Nothing will change that."

I had to give a small laugh at that. If only she knew just how close we really were.

Alice and I spent the rest of the morning together, chatting over my breakfast about anything and everything. So many times I had come close to telling her about her family, that she was actually my aunt, but I was too afraid of her reaction to say anything. She sat on my bed flipping through fashion magazines and squealing over the fall spreads while I cleaned up my room and emailed my mom to let her know there would be no wedding in a week. I made sure to tell Renée that she was more than welcome to come visit anyway, hoping I'd get one last chance to see her before I was changed. Much later, Charlie would be back from hiding from all the "girlie things" we were to have done today, so Alice headed home with a promise to hide her vision and her thoughts from Edward if he came home before stopping by here. I made quick work of the sides I knew Charlie liked with his fish and was cleaning the living room when he came home. It was time to inform my dad of my decision.

"Hey, Bells. Fish is all clean and ready to be cooked," he shouted from the kitchen.

I walked in to see him leaning back in his chair at the table, sipping on a can of his favorite beer, "I'm ready for it. Everything else is done. This shouldn't take long and then we can eat."

Charlie let out a grunt and headed towards the living room before I stopped him, "Hey, dad? I, um, have something to tell you." I watched as his face went from pale to red to purple in a second, "It's not that big of a deal, dad! Calm down!"

"Bella, you better spill fast." he warned.

"Come sit, I'll tell you what happened today. I think you'll actually be happy with this," I told him as he headed back for his chair. I sat across from him at the table and took a deep breath before telling him, "Alice was in the middle of pulling my dress over my head for the final fitting when I realized something: I don't want to get married." Charlie's eyes lit up at that admission, "I didn't really want it to begin with. I do love Edward, dad. He means so much to me, but this isn't what I want. There won't be a wedding."

I was completely startled when Charlie jumped out of his chair and reached across the table to throw his arms around me. I heard my dad sniffle.

"Bells, this is probably the best news I've ever heard," he gushed. I patted his back and laughed at his outburst of emotion. This was not like my dad.

After that small glimpse into the emotional side of himself, he cleared his throat, wiped his eyes and was off to watch sports while I finished dinner. The rest of the night was calm and quiet and I enjoyed my time watching TV with my dad.

Charlie had fallen asleep in his chair and I found myself yawning, so I sent him up to bed and followed after him. I went straight to the bathroom, showering and brushing my teeth before heading into my room. The door shut firmly behind me, I went to lay in my bed and was startled to see a dark figure standing in the corner of my room. I rushed to turn on the lamp on my bedside table. Edward was standing there with the most haunted look on his face, worse than when I had woken up after my bought with James in the ballet studio. It was clear he had gone home before coming here and Alice hadn't kept her promise.

"Edward," I whispered, moving towards him.

"Don't, Bella. Please. Just... stay there," he said.

Realizing he was very upset and likely to snap, I kept my distance and chose to sit in my desk chair while I waited for him to start his tirade. The pain in his eyes was too much for me to take, so I switched my focus to take in the rest of his appearance. It was obvious his hands had already worked the hell out of his hair. It was a lot more disheveled than it usually was, sticking up in some places and falling into his face in others. He looked like he'd rolled out of bed and didn't have time to check his reflection. As my eyes skimmed the rest of his body, I noticed his clothes were out of place, far from the usual neat appearance I was so used to. His shirt was partly untucked, a small tear in his pants. there was mud, fur and small drops of blood splattered on his shoes.

"Imagine my complete shock when I arrive home from hunting to hear my mother and sister on the phone to my cousins, telling them there was no wedding to attend next weekend," he started, staring at me with what looked like burning hatred. "I stood in the woods outside of the house long enough to attempt to delve deeper into their thoughts, hoping I'd find some sort of answer as to why they'd say such an absurd thing. Jasper felt my emotions shift and was on his way to me when I ran over here. I assume what they said is true, based on the look in your eyes now. Would you mind explaining to me, Bella, why my wedding was cancelled without my knowledge?"

"You know this isn't what I wanted," I said shyly, staring at the floor, hoping it would come to life and swallow me.

He scoffed, "You agreed to marry me. We had a deal. You marry me and you get that one human experience you're so desperate for."

The way he was spitting the words out at me caused my anger to spike. Rather than sit here and be belittled, I stood my ground. Literally. I shot up from my desk chair and took a few steps towards him, my heart racing in my chest, "Yes, I did want that human experience with the man I love. I absolutely did. And when I was refused that one experience, the one most girls my age have already experienced, more than once even, it hurt like hell, Edward," his eyes went wide at my language, "You left me, broken in the woods, alone. You spent all that time pushing me away, telling me how bad and dangerous you were, only to let me back in and dazzle me with your stupid vampire charm. I fell so deeply in love with you that it was like you were the very breath in my lungs. You consumed every single bit of my life and, because of one little mishap with a paper cut, completely destroyed me. And you took my family with you without giving me a chance to fight for them. Then, after having Alice thrust back into my life in the blink of an eye, I had to save _your_ life. I left without a second thought, not knowing if I would ever come back. I broke the heart of my best friend, the best friend I have ever had, multiple times for you! I left my dad behind without even saying goodbye. He would have lost his daughter because _you_ couldn't come face me yourself after Alice's vision. You assumed what Rosalie said was true and you ran like a little bitch! So I graciously accept you back into my life after months of barely existing and facing an extremely large coven of very dangerous and powerful human drinking vampires and pretended everything is okay. You repay me for all of that by chasing away the one person who didn't give up on me when you did!" My entire body was shaking with the strength of my anger and tears were freely falling down my face, "Edward, why can't you see that all you have done is shelter me, treated me like a porcelain doll or an infant? Why can't you see that, due to your presence in my life, I went from an independent, content girl to a shell of a person? I do love you and I'm incredibly grateful for you saving my life all the times you have, but I am not going to sit by while you scare away every single person who has ever cared for me before."

I was completely shocked at my tirade. Edward wasn't in any better shape. He was standing absolutely still, his mouth agape and his eyes wide. Neither of us were saying anything or moving, just staring at each other in shock. I'm not sure how much time had passed with nothing but the sound of my breathing, but the muscles in my legs were beginning to burn from staying in one place. I broke my eyes away from his, walking over to my bed and resting against the headboard. He stayed in his place for a few more moments before he sighed and turned to me.

"You're right about everything you said, Bella. I've been too controlling. I see that now. I promise you, my love, I will do better," he came to kneel at the left side of my bed, "There will be no more moments where I lose myself and forget that I am your lover, not your protector. Though I cannot promise that I will eliminate my protective nature, I will give you more space and freedom to do whatever you'd like to do. I simply cannot lose you, Bella. I've known what that was like before. My world ends when there is no you."

It was then that I fully realized nothing he could say would change my mind. Not only that, but I didn't want to even be with him anymore. I held love for him, sure, but there just wasn't that pull anymore. I briefly wondered at Carlisle's earlier confession of Edward being changed too young. He was forever stuck as a 17-year-old boy. And I had always been mature for my age. "Edward, I'm sorry. I just - I can't do this anymore. I need to be me again. Without you."

I watched as the hope completely drained from his features. The cold look he held when I first noticed him in my room came back quickly. Edward stood, turning slightly away from me and took a deep breath, "I suppose I'll be going, then. My Bella, I love you." And with that, he was gone.


	3. Disappearimg Acts

**DISCLAIMER: **I am not Stephenie Meyer, nor do I have any right to these characters and/or their canon characteristics.

The next morning, I woke in the same fashion I had the previous day. This time, though, instead of her cheery, sing-song voice, Alice sounded panicked as she called my name. I sat up too quickly, causing my head to spin slightly. Cool hands grasped my shoulders to steady me.

"Bella! I need you to focus! Listen," my eyes slowly opened to see Alice's face too close to mine, "Edward's gone. He left, Bella. And I can't see where he's going!"

"What do you mean he left?" The sleep I was struggling to brush off disappeared, "Alice, what the hell?"

"All I know is that he came home last night, went straight to his room without bothering to say hello to any of us, gathered some of his things and he left! Esme is a total wreck, Carlisle is pacing a hole in the floor, Rosalie is so angry. He keeps changing his mind. I have no idea where he's going or what he's doing!" She was rattling this off so fast I was having a hard time keeping up with everything.

"Okay. Did he leave a note?" I tried.

She looked at me like I'd grown another head, "A note?! Of course he didn't leave a note. He just _left_. Bella, what did you say to him?"

"Give me a few human moments and I'll explain. Don't give me that look!" I paused while she finished giving me her famous impatient look, "I just have to use the bathroom and I'll be right back."

Alice let me go, so I headed in to do my morning routine. I had to skip on a shower since I knew she'd break down the door and drag me out if I took longer than a couple of minutes. Teeth brushed and bladder freshly emptied, I rejoined her in my bedroom. I found Alice perched on the edge of my desk, eyes completely unfocused. Apparently she was trying to find her AWOL brother.

"Alice?" I hedged, "I'm ready to talk now."

Her eyes slowly came back into focus and she sighed. I could tell she still couldn't find anything solid. This conversation was going to be awful. I had a fitful nights rest reliving the things I had said. The way I spoke to Edward was cruel. I wondered how Alice hadn't seen my blow up at her brother, but realized it was probably because I hadn't planned on attacking him the way I did.

"He showed up late. Charlie and I were in the living room watching TV when I noticed he had fallen asleep. My pajamas were already in the bathroom, so I didn't stop in my room before heading in for a shower. When I was done, I came in here finally. Edward was standing on the other side of my bed. I tried to talk to him, to tell him what was going on, but he stopped me and asked me not to come near him. So I sat at my desk. He seemed to be deep in his own thoughts, so I watched him. Edward hadn't cleaned up after hunting. He was a complete mess. I don't think I've ever seen him so unkempt. He spoke first, saying that he'd gone home before coming here. Alice, he heard you and Esme talking to the Denalis about the wedding being cancelled. Before Jasper could find him, he came here. The way he was talking to me - I've never heard such hatred. Rather than reacting like I normally do to things like that, I was angry. Everything just came out. I attacked him. I told him that he was basically ungrateful and had no respect for me, that I was tired of being treated like a child rather than a partner. We stared at each other for a long time before I caved and sat on the bed," I paused, trying to calm my racing heart.

"What did he say?" Alice quietly asked. It was strange to see her so curious. She was always ahead of everyone else. I could still see the hurt in her eyes, but there was genuine wonder in her expression, so I told her what else happened. When I was done, she came over to me and wrapped her tiny arms around my waist, "Bella, I know you feel horrible. It's written all over your face. But the things you said?" She pulled back to look me in the eye, "Everything you said was true. You've always been shy and not one for confrontation, but you were independent. More so than I think I've ever seen in a human your age. And you're far from stupid. You were blinded by the love Edward offered and he took advantage of that by turning you into exactly what _he_ hoped you could be. I don't blame you. I'm not mad at you either. I'm only sad my brother is missing."

I threw my arms around Alice's neck and clung to her, sobbing. I was so afraid I'd lose my remaining best friend because of this. Every time I'd fall back asleep, I was thrust into another nightmare about being left behind by my family again. Knowing that Alice was on my side made me feel so much better about the decision I had made. From here on out, pushover Bella was a thing of the past. It was time to be me again.

The next few nights, I slept much easier knowing that Alice understood why I had hurt her brother the way I did. We spent a long time talking after that and I again had to hide our true past from her. I couldn't overwhelm her with this when she was so worried about Edward. We would be in the middle of talking and her eyes would unfocus and refocus. Every vision brought on a sigh and a sad attempt at a smile. The visions she was getting of Edward were only small glimpses of the places he was running through. She could tell he wasn't hunting anything and he was continuously running, in different directions, with no known destination. It was as if Edward had suddenly become a nomadic vampire. I could hardly picture him living such a rough life after seeing his pristine clothing and perfect hair every day.

Alice spent as much time as she could with me, preferring the simple nature to any visions she'd gotten of my future. Things like what I would eat the next day or what time Charlie would get home from work. It left her with more room to search for her brother. So, while Alice sat in almost complete silence, searching the future, I would clean or cook or read a book. Charlie would invite her to stay for dinner, but she'd come up with an excuse to go home. Three days after I had ended things with Edward, Alice showed up as I was eating breakfast in a panic again. In the middle of the night, Esme had decided to go in search of Edward. She packed a few belongings, took a credit card and left. I spent the rest of the day trying my best to keep Alice occupied so she wasn't so strung out and focusing on the futures of Edward and Esme. I let her play with my hair, try different makeup on my face and dress me in anything she wanted. She stayed for dinner, moving her food around her plate with curious looks from Charlie, and left just as I was about to go to bed.

_I was standing in the meadow again. Rosalie was on the opposite end of where I stood, her gorgeous blonde hair flowing in the breeze. She wore a look of absolute repulsion on her flawless face. Emmett was standing a few feet in front of her, staring at me with a pleading expression. Alice clung to her father figure's side as Carlisle regarded me with a pained expression._

_"Bella," Carlisle spoke, "We're leaving again. I simply cannot stay in Forks any longer. My son is dead and my wife will never be the same without him. My family is broken. I'm sorry, I know you care for us, but we have to move on. It's time."_

_"No! Carlisle you can't!" I screamed, running towards what was left of my family. The closer I thought I was getting, the further away they were. They had vanished when I made it half way across the meadow. I froze and fell to the ground, sobbing and screaming at the grass and flowers. Once I'd gotten that out of my system, I stood to leave, hugging my arms around my torso to keep the reopened hole from swallowing me. When I went to walk in the direction of home, I was met with a terrifying sight._

_Before me stood Victoria, James and Laurent. I turned to run, but before I could even manage a full step, Victoria's smiling face was right in front of my own._

_"Hello, Isabella," she purred. "Lovely seeing you again, dear. It's a shame your family is no more. Oh, my heart is breaking for you. Why don't you let me help you with your pain?"_

_As she finished speaking, both of my arms were restrained by the other two vampires. I struggled against them, watching Victoria's open mouth creep ever closer to the fragile skin of my throat._

"BELLS!" Charlie's voice broke through the scream that had transferred from my dream-self to my conscious-self. My sheets had become tangled all around my legs and a layer of sweat and tears coated the skin on my face. I reached out, hugging my dad to me.

"Bella, I thought these nightmares were gone for good. Are you okay?" Charlie asked, rubbing my back.

I pulled back and wiped my nose with the sleeve of my shirt, "I'm okay. I haven't had a dream like that in a long time. It's shocking."

"Wanna talk about it?"

I smiled up at my dad's attempt at being there for me, but shook my head in denial. He patted my head and went back to his own room.

I noticed it was early, but too late in the morning for me to try to get anymore sleep. I gathered my toiletries back and some clean clothes before padding off to do my morning routine. The heat of the shower helped to wash away the nasty feelings left over from my nightmare. Victoria's coven was gone, I knew that. I had watched her body turn to ash myself, as well as that of James, and Jake and the guys took care of Laurent. There was nothing for me to worry about. By the time I had sorted out my fears, the water was running cold.

Breakfast would give me a reason not to think too much. I prepared french toast, covered in butter and sprinkled with powdered sugar. I made a fresh pot of coffee, knowing that Charlie would want a cup as soon as he came down. While I waited for him, I cleaned up what little there was to do around the house, straightening the pictures on the mantle in the living room and wiping the counters clean in the kitchen. I had nothing else to do, so I settled into my spot at the kitchen table and ate my food. Charlie came down just a moment later, filling his cup and enjoying his portion of the food.

When Alice didn't show up after breakfast, I figured she wasn't coming by today. Since I had nothing to do anyway, I decided to go visit her. My clothes were my usual jeans and t-shirt, but I wanted to make my best friend smile. Reaching to the back of my closet, the section dedicated to Alice clothes, I pulled out a comfortable knee-length cotton dress. It was emerald-green, with cap sleeves and a neckline just below my collar bones. It flowed gently away from my waist, flaring slightly. Once I had it on, I had to admit it wasn't that bad. I paired it with some black ankle boots I found in the bottom of my closet. I was clueless when it came to makeup and hair, so I just threw my hair up into a simple pony tail. Satisfied with my efforts, I walked out the door and headed to the Cullen house.

The drive didn't take long at all and the driveway was easy to find, having been there plenty of times. I parked my truck outside of the garage and headed into the house. I wasn't expecting much to be different when I arrived and was clutching the purse containing the Brandon-Swan family tree. But when I reached the top of the stairs and glanced into the window, what I saw was definitely shocking and a bit terrifying. Their belongings were sitting in boxes just inside the front door.


	4. Ties That Bind

**Author's Note: **Hey. Just a quick reminder that I do not have a beta, so any and all errors are solely my own. Also, I've written all of this, so far, in one night! I don't have much access to a decent computer, so I'm going to try to push through as much of the story as I can, and somehow try to manage keeping with the timeline. Please, for those who are eager to see the coupling in the story, be patient. There are a few things that still need to happen before our lovers realize their lovers! P.s. I know, I said I don't care much about reviews, but I'm curious to know what people think. So, maybe, give me a couple of words? Thanks!

**DISCLAIMER:** I am not Stephenie Meyer, nor do I have rights to these characters and/or their canon characteristics.

This was not happening. There was no way they were leaving me, not this time. Not when I knew it was coming and could fight to keep them. I refused to lose the people I cared the most about. My purse clung tightly to my side, I marched in the front door and didn't stop until I was in the middle of their large living room. I started shouting at anyone that may be in the house, knowing full well that they could hear me just fine if I whispered.

"I don't know what you all think you're doing, but you are _not _leaving me again! And I know you guys could hear me pull up in the driveway, so come on out of your hiding places and face me like the fearless vampires you are!" I started stomping around the living room, trying to decide if I'd like to remain standing or sit on the sofa and wait for them to show themselves. Luckily, I wasn't kept waiting long. The remaining family members had silently entered the room together and were standing, as a group, at the foot of the stair case.

"Care to explain?" My eyebrows raised and I pointed to the boxes stacked near the door.

Alice stood up on her toes to look around Jasper's shoulder, "You look nice, Bella," She chirped.

I couldn't help but to roll my eyes at her, "Yeah, thanks. I actually dressed like this because I thought it would cheer you up to see me making an effort like this. Since you've been so down lately. I show up, surprised to find your things packed." My head turned to the side a bit, eyebrows scrunched as if in confusion, "Were you planning to leave me without a word again?"

Alice's small frame disappeared from my view as she shrunk down behind her husband again, but not before I caught the sad look in her eyes. Carlisle stepped forward, offering me a small but kind smile.

"Would you like to sit down and hear of what we have decided?" he offered.

"I would," I replied, sitting in the closest overstuffed chair.

The family filed into the room, filling the rest of the furniture. Emmett plopped his giant frame down into a matching chair, pulling Rosalie comfortably down into his lap. Carlisle sat at the end of the sofa closest to me, Alice on the other end and Jasper in between the two. I watched as Alice's face turned more sad. Jasper pulled her into his side and kissed her temple, trying to comfort his beloved.

"Esme and Edward are still lost to us, Bella. Alice cannot find them and they have made no decisions as to where they will go. From what we can understand of the visions Alice has had, they are together, though not closely. Edward will not allow Esme to be near him, so she is following behind him. He has yet to hunt. I am sorry, Bella, I truly am, but I can't simply stay in this house, missing my son and wife. The way it seems through Alice's visions, they are making no moves to come back to us anytime soon. I'm afraid staying in this house is proving difficult for myself. Esme's influence is in the simplest things. It pains me to see so much of her, yet have nothing of _her _to hold," he concluded.

"Where will you go?"

"We have plenty of properties across the country, as you know. We have yet to decide which we will move to. There was to be a family meeting this afternoon to discuss where everyone would be most comfortable," he answered simply.

I thought that over for a moment. Truly, they could go where they pleased. If they found a location they didn't have a property in, Carlisle had enough funds to buy them each a house and then some. I was a bit hurt at his admissions, though. He sounded as if they had no ties to Forks any longer, as if I wasn't enough to keep my family here. There had to be a way to convince them...

I had an idea, "Carlisle, would you mind holding the meeting now? Everyone is here and I'd like to be a part of this."

"I don't see why not. Lets move into the dining room," We all situated around the large table, Carlisle at the head of the table, both seats next to him empty. His eyes lingered on the seats to his left and right, but he quickly called the meeting to a start. They discussed the different places they could go, considering the last time they had been to each. The discussion moved to what age everyone would be and which names they would take. They were having a hard time agreeing on much. So I decided to take the meeting into my own hands.

"If you don't mind, I have a few things I'd like to say," I interrupted, keeping my eyes firmly on Carlisle's.

"Certainly. Go ahead, Bella," he offered, sitting back in his chair.

"I know that I've hurt all of you deeply by what I've caused. I also know that you'll try to assure me this isn't my doing, but I know it is. I take full responsibility for Edward and Esme leaving you all. You all know Edward better than I do, so maybe I'm a bit wrong in my reactions to the way he has been towards me. I am, after all, a simple human girl. I know nothing of the struggles you all have been through and the only awareness I have of earlier times is through books. I understand that he was brought up in a different time, I even loved that about him, but I wasn't around in the early 1900's. I was born in 1987. I'm young, I have yet to experience most of the world. I know these things and I know that maybe I've judged Edward too harshly. But I also know that you all could see that I was growing tired of the way he treated me. Yes, I am a fragile human. Just a young girl in the eyes of all of you, but I am far from the infant he treated me as. I regret hurting him, but I do not and will not regret my decision to end our relationship. I'm not going to sit here and watch you all leave me. I have a lot of reasons for that. Over the last year, you all have been so much of my life. Even Rosalie, believe it or not, has a special place in my heart. The last time you all left me, you took everything out of me and kept it with you. I was nothing. And I will not let that happen to me again. But the main reason I can't let you all go is a big one," I shifted uneasily in my seat, unsure if I really should do this now. The family had been through so much recently, and here I was adding to that for my own selfish reasons. I could only hope this revelation would keep my aunt Alice around. I cleared my throat and stood up, pulling the worn folder from my purse.

"I was going through Charlie's things in the attic, finding things to bring with me for after my change as Esme suggested. I found baby clothes I had worn, pictures of my family, little arts and crafts Renée and I had done. There was an old trunk filled with bits and pieces of my dad's childhood. Old report cards and pictures he'd drawn, a few of his toys. I found this folder in that chest," I laid the folder on the table, sliding over in front of Alice. "Open this to the last page," was all I said.

Alice looked at me, concerned. Everyone else was focused on the folder, confused expressions on their faces. She flipped the folder over on its front, opened the back and turned over the last page. Her eyes started reading the top, "Bella, what -"

"Keep going, Alice. Read farther," I pushed her.

I watched her face closely as she skimmed through the list of relatives. Not an ounce of recognition came across it. Carlisle kept glancing from me to Alice, Jasper was reading along with her. Rosalie wore her usually bored expression, but I could tell she was wondering what was going on. Emmett was leaning over the table to get a better look at the paper Alice had. I saw Jasper's body stiffen and heard him gasp, Alice screaming out a second later, "Bella! OH MY GOD!"

"What? Alice, what is it?" Carlisle was worried about his daughter.

Alice just stared at me, her eyes sparkling as if she were going to cry. She wore a small smile on her face. Jasper was awestruck, I could tell he wasn't sure what to do or say. Emmett's head kept whipping between me, Alice and Carlisle. When Alice didn't speak, I chose to do so for her.

"That is the Swan Family tree, as I'm sure you all can see at the top there. If you start from the bottom, there is a man and two women at the beginning. One woman passed away, the other lived on to give birth to a second child to the man," I paused, making sure Alice was still following with me. She was. "The daughter of the man and the deceased woman is sitting right next to Jasper now - Mary Alice Brandon. Born in 1901 in Biloxi Mississippi. Next to her, the daughter of the younger woman and the man, is Alice's younger sister, Anna -" I paused again so I could look over the paper, unsure if I had the name right. "Anna Grace Brandon. She was born in 1921. Anna married in 1938 to a man named Charles Swan." Everyone's eyes shot up to look at me, utter shock on all their faces. Alice was bouncing in her seat, hands clutched together in front of her mouth as Jasper tried to calm her down. "They had a daughter and later a son, Geoffrey Swan. Geoffrey and his wife, Helen, gave birth to Charles and Eric Swan in 1964. Eric has no children, but Charles, or Charlie, married one Renée Dwyer in 1985. They gave birth to their daughter in 1987, naming her Isabella Marie Swan." I finished, setting the paper down and returning to my seat.

Before I could even get comfortable, Alice jumped up from her seat, bouncing around the room, giggling and singing about her niece Bella. I couldn't help but to smile at her. I had hoped this would be the type of reaction she would give me, but I was unsure. Alice's past was such a touchy subject. however, I thought knowing part of her family would bring her some peace. And it seemed as though I were right.

"Oh, Carlisle, I can't leave now! All this time I've wondered and now I know. It's no wonder I love Bella so much, she's FAMILY! Can you believe it? Real, actual, related family. I thought I had no idea what that felt like, but oh, I do! And it's right there in that chair," she said, pointing to me. "I have family, Carlisle," She sighed and hugged him close to her. "Please oh please don't make me leave her. Carlisle, I won't go. I refuse. If you try to make me, I will let you go without me. I will not leave my Bella again," she was fierce and firm in her statements and it looked like everyone knew it.

"If she stays, so do I. Can't leave my Ali," Jasper drawled.

Emmett jumped up from his chair, "No way in hell am I leaving our Bellyboo! Sorry, pops, but I just don't have it in me to leave my little sis behind again."

"This is absurd!" Rosalie suddenly yelled to everyone in the room, "I don't care _who_ she is, she still drove away Esme and Edward."

"Rose," Carlisle warned her.

"It's okay. I understand why she's so upset. I did drive them away. Unintentionally, but still. I did this to your family. I don't want you to go, any of you. You _are_ family to me. With or without my attachment to Edward," I was hoping they could see in my eyes the feeling behind my words. My life had changed enough in the last year, I just couldn't let go of all of them. Since I had dropped a major bombshell on Carlisle as the head of the family, I told them I would leave them to discuss what they wanted to do, knowing that Alice would never leave me.

Once home, I went through the normal motions of cleaning up the house while I made dinner. Tonight's dinner was simple: chicken enchiladas. I hadn't even finished placing them in the baking dish when the front door opened and closed loudly. I glanced towards the front door only to be pounced on by a tiny creature, "Hello, my niece! What are you making for my dear nephew? Smells positively awful!" she kissed my cheek before jumping off her perch on my back and dancing through the kitchen.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be discussing the move with your family,"

"_Our_ family, Bella dear. And the discussion is over. Rosalie is pissed at Emmett for wanting to stay, but she'll get over it. Carlisle won't leave with so many of us staying," she explained as she twirled around the room, the perfect picture of a ballerina.

"Wait - so, you're staying? All of you?" I was sure my jaw was going to unhinge itself at any moment. Carlisle had shown no evidence that he would choose to stay. I thought for sure I'd be losing more of them.

"Mhmmmm," she hummed, doing a funky little move with her arms up over her head. She was so peaceful and happy. I was glad to have her back to her old self.

Alice hung around for dinner, again receiving curious looks from Charlie as she "ate," and asked to spend the night. Charlie had no problems with that and was like putty in her tiny fingers. The little pixie was in such a good mood, she even managed to dance up the stairs to my room. I was sure if I tried something like that, I'd end up with a few broken bones and a concussion. We spent the night reading through the rest of the information on our families, laughing and joking as we made up stories about their personalities. I fell asleep, wrapped in my tiny Aunt Alice's arms, in the early hours of the morning.


	5. Slow Healing

**Author's Note:** This ones a little shorter. And I don't really know how I feel about it. I tried to do this in Carlisle's point of view, but it just wouldn't come out. It's obvious Bella would still have to be changed because of the Volturi. That part I decided to keep. It's just a little bit different than it was in the books. Still no beta. And I'm going to work on the next chapter as soon as this posts. Sorry I kept everyone waiting!

**DISCLAIMER:** I am not Stephenie Meyer, nor do I have rights to these characters and/or their canon characteristics.

Even after Alice had confirmed that my family would not be leaving, I still had the lingering fear that I'd wake up and they would be gone. In an attempt to ease my fears, Alice spent as much time with me as she could. For the most part, it worked, but sometimes not even her bubbly attitude could chase the feelings away. When I would get lost in my thoughts, considering what I would do without them, Jasper would send me waves of contentment. He was coming in very handy.

Everyone seemed to be back to normal, aside from Carlisle. I hadn't seen much of him at all. Emmett told me that he prefers to hunt alone and would spend as many hours as he could at the hospital. When he was home, he spent all of his time in his study. I attempted to talk to Jasper to get an idea of what Carlisle was going through, but he couldn't give me much. The only thing he could say was that Carlisle was experiencing some guilt and sadness.

When I decided I was going to speak to Carlisle, Alice informed me when he would be home. She also said that our conversation would be difficult and to prepare myself for an emotional visit. I knew it wouldn't be easy talking to him, but I hoped he wouldn't turn me away. The guilt I felt about having his family split up as it was, was very intense. I hadn't wanted to hurt anyone in my admissions, but it seemed as though I was getting very good at doing just that. Just as she predicted, the talk I had with Carlisle was hard. He explained that he and Esmé had been drifting apart for along while. For the last three decades, they would ignore each other when they were alone and pretended around the family. Edward and Jasper had come to the two of them, concerned for their parental figures, but Carlisle and Esmé told them it was nothing to worry about. I saw Carlisle in a completely different light that day.

I had always viewed him as more human than vampire. He was incredibly compassionate and the only member of the family that could be around my blood without his thirst increasing. But watching Carlisle as he spoke of the discord in his relationship with his wife... It made him seem like he was actually human. The pain on his face when he spoke of his first son, his first companion brought tears to my eyes. I apologized profusely and rather than turn me away as I thought he would, he held my hand in his and assured me I wasn't to blame. I disagreed with him, but his comforting gesture soothed some of the guilt. Once we had gotten through the tough part of the conversation, it changed pretty quickly to talk of books. His collection was extensive, the massive shelves of books covering most of the walls in his study. He had everything from classic novels to medical journals and some history books. Before I needed to head home to make dinner for Charlie, he told me I was welcome to borrow his study any time I wanted. Even if he wasn't there. I went home feeling better than I had before.

Three weeks without a sign of Edward or Esmé. No visions to clues in on their whereabouts, both of their cell phones had been turned off and every search Jasper did on the internet came up empty. Everyone kept trying, though, no one ready to give up hope. Edward had run off on his own before, when it was just he, Carlisle and Esmé. They all seemed hopeful that both would return. Carlisle had started coming around the family again after I insisted he sit in while Emmett beat me mercilessly at video games. Emmett's crazy banter and my witty comebacks had Carlisle smiling and laughing in no time. Since then, he made a point to spend time with all of us and would even hunt with the guys again.

I spent a lot of time in Carlisle's study. His collection seemed endless and he had many of my favorites. The atmosphere of the room really helped when I just needed to relax. Carlisle often joined me to spend some time in the quiet room, wanting some time away from all the noise as well. Sometimes we would talk, but for the most part, he would sit with a medical journal while I read. We had been doing just that when Alice burst through the door in a panic.

"I just had a vision. The Volturi are going to come to see Bella. We promised she would be changed. They received their invitation to the wedding and are coming to make sure we followed through with our deal. Carlisle! We have to do something!"

I felt my heart skip before it picked up a frantic pace. I suddenly couldn't feel my lungs. The room was spinning and I felt sick to my stomach. The Volturi. How I had managed to forget about them, I have no idea. We knew this day would come and had a plan in place. Just as my vision began turning black, I felt myself calm considerably.

"Bella, are you alright?" Carlisle was kneeling in front of me, his hands placed on my knees, "I need you to breathe, Bella. Slow, deep breaths. Calm down."

Looking into his eyes to ground myself, I did as he told me. Slowly, my lungs came back to life and I could breathe again. The room came back into focus and I noticed Jasper standing next to me, his hand on my shoulder. He was sending me wave after wave of calm.

"Do you feel okay?" Carlisle asked.

I couldn't respond. My voice wouldn't work. I felt my head moving up and down in answer, but as tears started forming in my eyes, the direction of my head switched to side to side movements.

"Bella, come here," Carlisle pulled me towards him and wrapped his arms around me. "We will work something out. You are a part of this family, no matter what. Please do not be afraid. We won't let you go." He continued to speak as I tried to regain control of myself. I vaguely noticed Alice and Jasper leaving the room, quietly closing the door behind them. My breathing finally even and the flow of tears slowed, Carlisle pulled away so he could see my face. His hands came from around my back, settling on either side of my face.

"I promise you, Bella. I will not let anything happen to you," he spoke fiercely. His eyes pierced into mine and I felt like he was speaking directly into my soul, "After everything I have been through, I refuse to lose another member of my family. No one will take you from us. It matters not how capable the Volturi are, they will not lay a hand on you," he promised. "But, Bella, we need to speak about this. A plan needs to be formed. There is no way around it, you have to be changed. I understand you may no longer wish to be like us. And I know the thought of leaving your father behind terrifies you, but we can work through that. I can help you," His hands dropped to their former position on my knees, "Is it okay if we talk about this now? We mustn't wait long," Carlisle's face turned to the side a bit. "Alice says they will come within two months. She saw snow on the ground when they arrive. We have little time to work with. Will you be okay to talk?"

I swallowed thickly before attempting to speak again, "I'm okay."

He then nodded and stood to go sit behind his desk again. In a second, Alice and Jasper had reentered the room with Rosalie and Emmett tailing behind them. Everyone sat around in the different furniture in Carlisle's study, aside from Alice. She explained that her vision showed all three brothers would come and with them, some of the strongest members of their guard. This included Jane, Alec and Felix. I vaguely remembered the three of them were the most feared of Aro's favorites. The three of them could work in tandem, causing a very brutal death to those who betrayed the Volturi. When Alice finished telling the details of her vision, she perched herself on the sofa I was sitting on and pulled my hands into hers.

"Your future did change drastically when you decided not to marry Edward, but it didn't change completely. I know you still wanted to be changed. None of us have thought about this for a while and we don't have much time to discuss it now. You need to be changed as soon as possible, Bella," she sighed and looked into my eyes, "I've already seen what you will be like as a newborn. You're incredible. You have strength just like Carlisle. As long as you hunt regularly, your thirst will be easily manageable." Just as Alice finished, Rosalie huffed and flew out of the room.

"When would you like to do this, Bella?" Carlisle's eyes were soft as he looked at me.

"It's not like I have much of a choice. Alice is right, though, I did still want to be changed. I wasn't sure how to bring that up to all of you considering the way things have been lately and was afraid you all wouldn't want me anymore. Rosalie doesn't want me to be a part of the family and I understand why. But I am not going to be the pitiful human that can't protect you all when they come. I refuse to sit by and watch you all be punished. It's always been what I wanted - you're my family, all of you," I paused to think it over for a moment. The thought of losing Charlie was too much, so I pushed that away. Renée would be fine, she had Phil and whatever recent thing she'd started to keep her busy. It was obvious Jacob wasn't going to be around anymore and I had lost touch with nearly everyone else. Charlie would be the only one to miss me. "Give me a few days. I can get a few things done around the house for my dad. I'll make some freezer friendly meals for him."

Carlisle nodded, "That will be fine. How about this Thursday? That will give you time to sort out things at home and I will have time to prepare a room for your change."

"That's fine," I agreed.

I wanted to get home as soon as possible. Thursday was only three days away. Three days to spend as much time with Charlie as I could. Three days to sleep, dream, eat regular human food. Three days to feel my heart beating beneath my chest. I would do everything I could to enjoy my last moments as an awkward, clumsy human. And when those three days were over, I would join the rest of my family.


	6. Time To Change

**Author's**** Note: **This is it for this chapter right now. I will be adding more to it soon. Apologies for how long this is taking. I am using my brother's computer and it just so happens that the touch/mouse pad is right where my thumbs rest when I type. I have finished this chapter twice only to have my idiot fingers delete all of my progress. More to come soon!

**DISCLAIMER: **I am not Stephenie Meyer, nor do I have rights to these characters and/or their canon characteristics.

When I got home from the Cullen's house, I immediately started preparing foods for Charlie. In the middle of making my third batch of food, Alice called to tell me what the story would be for me staying at their house. I would tell my dad that the men were all going on a camping trip and Alice, Rosalie and myself would be shopping and spending time together while they were gone. They hadn't discussed what we would do once I woke up from the change and promised to talk about it soon. We needed a plan for my death.

I ended up making enough food for a month. There would have been more, but the freezer was already stocked completely full. Billy and Charlie still liked to go fishing on the weekends, so I hoped he would have enough to last at least two months. Once everything was done and put away, I set about some deep cleaning. I was good about upkeep, so there wasn't much to do, but I wanted to be thorough. By the time Charlie made it back from the reservation, every floor in the house was clean enough to eat off of and all of his laundry was done and put away. I spent that first night on the couch, watching TV with my dad while he sipped his favorite beer.

The first night, I was completely exhausted so I slept easily. I woke early the next day and found I had very little to do. The house was perfectly clean, there was no room for more meals in the freezer, I couldn't pack my things and take them with me. I settled on spending some quiet time on the couch with Wuthering Heights. The day had gone by quickly as I immersed myself in the lives of my favorite characters and I soon dozed off. I woke when Charlie came home from work, pizza in hand. We spent that evening talking and laughing over our meal. I didn't sleep as easily that night. I wanted to run into my dad's room and wake him up. No matter what I did, I couldn't get over the guilt of leaving him behind.

My last day was spent re-cleaning everything I had already done. By the time I had finished, it was almost time for Charlie to come home, so I made a quick dinner and picked a couple of movies for us to watch. While I waited for him to come home, I packed a small amount of my things, grabbing belongings I couldn't go without. The things I had found in the attic months ago were already put safely away at the Cullen house, so I had little I really wanted to keep. With that, I packed a few outfits, my favorite jeans and t-shirts. I couldn't help but laugh when I thought of how Alice would react when she saw them. Surely she would try to convince me to change my wardrobe along with my humanity. Another night spent in comfortable company with my dad, I went off to bed hoping to have a nice long sleep. I was too aware that it would be the last time I ever slept. That thought kept me up, tossing and turning for most of the night. The last time I looked at the clock, it was nearly four in the morning.

I was thrust back into reality when a meteor struck the end of my bed. That meteor was my meat head of a brother, Emmett. He bounced all over the place until I finally got up and started getting ready for my day. While I went through my routine, Emmett took what little I had packed down to his Jeep and called the family to let them know I would be there soon. Emmett was patient with me as I slowly walked through the whole house, willing every small detail to memory. I ran my fingers along the furniture, smelled my dad's after shave, paid close attention to the family pictures that still lined the walls. An hour later, I was as satisfied as I was going to get and told Emmett we could go.

Everyone was gathered in the living room when we arrived. They all looked up at me with sad expressions on their faces and Alice came forward to hug me. She steered me towards the sofa, where we both sat. Carlisle came to sit next to me, placing a hand on my back.

"Everything is ready for you upstairs. Jasper and I set up the guest room for you. It may be a bit intimidating when you first walk in. I wanted to make sure we were prepared for anything that could happen, but I don't want you to worry. I have done this before," at that, he smirked and gave me a wink. I couldn't help but to smile back at him.

"It's okay, I'm ready. I trust you,"

"Is there anything you would like before we head upstairs? We still have some of your snack foods and a few cans of soda. Or you could relax and enjoy yourself for a little while. This doesn't have to happen right this moment," Carlisle offered.

I shook my head, "I don't need anything, thank you. I'd much rather just go ahead and do this. I've had plenty of time these last few days to enjoy some food and think."

Carlisle slid his arm across my shoulders and pulled me to his side, "Then I suppose it is time."

Just as I was about to stand, I noticed Rosalie was nowhere to be seen. "Where is Rose, Emmett?"

He frowned and looked at the floor, "She decided to go on a hunt alone, Bella. But don't you worry about that. She'll come around."

"You should go to her. I don't like that I'm coming between the two of you," I told him honestly.

"You aren't, Bella. Promise. It's not you she's upset at, it's her past. She didn't want this life and she feels that you're giving up on too much."

I sighed and shrugged my shoulders, "Em, there isn't much else I can do..."

"I know. Just don't worry about it," he said. "Now come on! Lets go change our Bellybean into a kick ass newborn!"

We all chuckled at Emmett's usual silliness before heading up to the room. Carlisle wasn't kidding when he said it would be intimidating. There was a hospital bed in the middle of the floor, surrounded by lights and trays of tools I tried not to look at. The floor had been covered in a blue cloth similar to those I saw in the ER when getting stitches. An IV stand with bags of fluids sat ready near the head of the bed. I stepped further into the room, looking around and waiting for the uncomfortable feeling to settle. When it did, I hopped up on the side of the bed, kicked off my shoes and laid down.

"Let's do this,"


	7. Note!

**Sorry guys. It's taking a while for the next update. We had some pretty serious bad weather yesterday and were without power for nearly 8 hours. Everything's okay now, so I'll be updating soon. Tootles!**


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